How To Use Gutter Heaters

Take one end of the cable and begin at the corner of your roof.

How to use gutter heaters.

Run the cable back down to the gutter at an angle and form it into a loop. Secure the roof cable with brackets affixed to each shingle where the roof cable bends. If heated gutters aren t the solution then what is. Cable is available in both 120 and 240 voltages.

Heated cables will simply not be able to handle massive amounts of snow. Run the cable back up the roof in a zig zag pattern creating a triangular shape that is about 15 inches wide. Ice dams will form above and below the melted areas. Gutter heaters will only be able to create a small melted tunnel around an immediate area.

Run tape inside the gutter place the electrical plug close to the breaker box then work backward through your gutters until your entire system is covered. Some heat cables may not be safe to use with certain materials so you need to know the materials used in your roof gutters and downspouts. How to choose a heated gutter system. How to prevent ice dams.

If leaves and other dry debris build up on top of the heat tape for gutters the eavestrough heating cable can also be a fire hazard for your home. Additionally all heat cables should be waterproof. Run zigzags to create 15 wide triangles running the cable from the overhang to the warm area of your roof. Wrap heat tape around key areas in your gutters to guarantee it stays in one place but do not wrap the tape over itself.

Which system do you chose. Gutter heaters mean you can flick a switch and forget about the snow fall. The gutter heat tape or cable is run in special patterns across roofs in gutters and along downspouts where ice usually forms collects and eventually creates what are known as ice dams. Heat trace cable is safe for metal plastic or wooden downspouts and gutters and it will not overheat even if overlapped.

This can cause an electrical hazard. The self regulating cable delivers heat when you need it and shuts off when you don t adjusting to ambient temperatures for maximum energy efficiency. An inexpensive heat cable that doesn t offer water protection is not safe to use. Using one of the provided eave clips attach it to the bottom edge of the last shingle.

The least expensive way to go is a very simple system where a heat cable is applied to your gutters and then is run down the downspouts of your home preferably near an outlet. It is best to avoid heated gutter guards to avoid these issues.